Introducing a New Breakout Session for Young Professionals at the NCA 2018 Convention

This pre-conference session is aimed at providing the under-40 coffee community with tailored content that will be especially relevant to attendees. While there will be organized presentations, this is intended to be an informal event. Our goal is to fill a room with Next Gen coffee constituents and provide helpful information, as well as a platform to ask questions and voice what they want out of the NCA’s Next Gen initiatives (we’re still a very young initiative, after all).

To that end, we’ll open with a roundtable discussion, which will essentially be a Next Gen Council State of the Union (yes, you’ll need to keep standing and applauding!)

We’ll discuss the background of its formation, the goals that were handed down from the NCA Board of Directors, and how we plan on accomplishing them.

As many of you know, we have recruited almost 50 talented members onto subcommittees: recruiting, events, social media, and communications. The committee heads will update everyone with what they’re working onto help us collectively reach these goals, as well as solicit questions and ideas.

From here, we’ll welcome a minor celebrity in the coffee community, Michael Gaviña, Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, and who is the incoming National Coffee Association Chairman. He’ll discuss leadership, a topic that many of you asked the NGC to focus on, and what it means to him. He’s clearly evidenced a great deal of it to be elected as the Chairman, and he’ll continue to display it as he guides the industry over his term.

Photo: Gavina Gourmet Coffee

Next, we have John Lyons of Brown Brothers Harriman, who manages wealth for ultrahigh net worth individuals. While all the attendees will aspire to one day meet that qualification, John will discuss everyday investing, particularly at a young age when there’s a long investment horizon.

Finally, we’ll hear from Ken Haycraft, Director of Talent Management at BUNN, about the importance and intricacies of professional development, especially as it pertains to “emotional intelligence,” which many companies are prioritizing ahead of IQs these days.

We want this to be valuable experience for all the Next Gen delegates – and if it’s not, we hope you’ll let us know at the after-hours social event (details to come). We’re looking forward to seeing everyone!